Mukesh Kumar’s stupendous six-wicket haul propelled Bengal to a 174-run upset win over Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy champion Karnataka on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday.
Mukesh’s career-best six for 61, his second six-wicket performance this season, fast-tracked Bengal’s progress to its 14th final, and the first after 2006-07, as a below-par Karnataka was dismissed for 177.
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Needing 254 runs to win, Karnataka — which resumed at 98 for three – surrendered meekly for the second time for a sub-200 total. It managed only 79 off 17.3 overs in less than two hours of play.
While Bengal’s first innings bowling hero Ishan Porel kept one end tight, Mukesh wreaked havoc by hitting the right channel and claiming five for 28 runs in an unbroken spell of nine overs.
Early strike
Mukesh began with a bang when an unsure Manish Pandey feathered to wicketkeeper Shreevats Gowami in the third over of the morning.
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In his next over, the medium-pacer struck in back-to-back deliveries. K.V. Siddharth’s outside edge went to the first slip and S. Sharath was leg-before from superb length. The writing was on the wall for the visitors.
A determined Devdutt Padikkal, starting the day on 50, added 12 more before becoming Mukesh’s victim.
A different angle from round the wicket tricked the southpaw into edging to the ’keeper.
After Porel removed Gowtham, Mukesh dismissed Ronit More to claim his fifth wicket of the day and sixth of the innings.
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It was his fourth fiv-for. Akash then bowled a hard-hitting Abhimanyu Mithun to trigger celebrations on the ground and in the stands.
A joyous Bengal side thanked thousands of fans for their whole-hearted support over four days.
“Beating a team like Karnataka at home will boost us. We will carry forward this confidence to the final,” said Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Saha in for final
Test wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha on Tuesday was named in a 16-member Bengal squad for the Ranji Trophy final to be played from March 9.
Opener Koushik Ghosh, who picked up an injury, and young pacer Golam Mostafa have been left out. Mohammed Shami does not feature in the team.
The squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt.), Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Anustup Majumdar, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Sudip Chatterjee, Abhishek Raman, Arnab Nandi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Shreyan Chakraborty, Nilkantha Das, Agniv Pan (wk) and Sudip Gharami.
The scores:
Bengal — 1st innings: 312.
Karnataka — 1st innings: 122.
Bengal — 2nd innings: 161.
Karnataka — 2nd innings: K.L. Rahul lbw b Porel 0, R. Samarth lbw b Akash 27, Devdutt Padikkal c Goswami b Mukesh 62, Karun Nair lbw b Mukesh 6, Manish Pandey c Goswami b Mukesh 12, K.V. Siddharth c Abhimanyu b Mukesh 0, S. Sharath lbw b Mukesh 0, K. Gowtham c sub b Porel 22, Abhimanyu Mithun b Akash 38, Ronit More c Abhimanyu b Mukesh 4, Prasidh Krishna (not out) 2; Extras (b-2, lb-2): 4; Total (in 55.3 overs): 177.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-57, 3-76, 4-99, 5-103, 6-103, 7-118, 8-142, 9-147.
Bengal bowling: Porel 19-5-58-2, Mukesh 21-5-61-6, Akash 11.3-1-44-2, Nandi 4-0-10-0
Man-of-the-match: Anustup Majumdar.
Bengal won by 174 runs to enter the final
